Improvement in gas-engines



4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. HUGON. GAS ENGINE.

Patented Jan. 19, 1864.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

P. HUGON.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented Jan. 19, 1864.

4 Sheets-Sheet; 4.

P. HUGON.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented Ja.11.19, 1864.

UNITED .STATES PfrnNT Onlilne.- I

runnen HUeoN, oF PARIS, FRANCE.

INIPROVEMENTA IN GAS-ENGINES.

Specification forming pal-trof Letters Patent No. 41,299, dated January19, 1864.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be' it" known that I, PIERRE HUeoN, of Paris,in the Empire of France,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machineryfor'Obtaining and Applying Motive Power; fand l rdo hereby declare thenature of my said'invention, and. in what manner the same istobeperforined, to be particularly described and, ascertained in and byythe following statement thereof, `reference beinghad to the 'drawingshereunto annexed-that' is to y sayz- Y Ihave observed in gas-enginesthat the .direct action ,of the gaseous mixture when exploded to obtainmotive power formed a great di'fculty in'. its application arising fromthe instantaneousness of the eiiect'produced. l then thought ofemploying this instantaneous explosive force by making it vact upon anin-y termediate body.. I at iirst triedair and caused the explosiveforce to compress the airl Vina receiver, the air afterward pressedVupon one face of a piston, While 4the vacuum produced in the tube fromY,which the airhad been expelled caused a vacuum on the other face andmoved the piston; but thefgreatfelas -ticity of air and the shortduration of the explosion, or the high'temperature produced,

4 caused unsatisfactory results. y l. Now, the` present Yinvent onconsists in the employment of-,Water instead.- oi compressed air, and incausing the explosive force of the,

gaseousmixture to act upon an intermediate column ot'l water, and thusindirectly upon the piston. The Vcylinder iiis'vhich the. piston worksis separated from V'the tubes wherein thevexplosion takes place. Thepower resulting from the dilatation of the gases sem ployed to e'xpel acertain quantity of Water from the explosion-tube and' to produce avacuum, the effect of which isad'ded to thatfduev to the condensation ofsteam arising from the combina- *1cm ofthe' hydrogen and oxygen, and canbe f utilized inV the cylinder. flhe several reser- Voirs ofthe engineare arranged insuch manwhich'produces the movement of the piston. TheWater expelled 'from the tube which tills the opposite chamber, thecapacity of which increases gradually, acts in the same manner at thefollowing explosion'. The'resnlt ot' this method ofl employing the'.power produced at the instant ot' the combination ofthe gases is thatthe shock produced by the sudden and instantaneous dilatation of themixture is not transmitted immediately to the motive parts. The power-is applied Ito an independeiitliquid, which isfreely displaced by thepress'nreexercised uponits surface; The contactof thegasecus residuumwith water, the temperatureof which never exceeds 1130 Fahrenheit,allows the steam produced -to be partly condensed, and to increase,'owing to expansion. The utilization of the vacuum is rendered asperfect as possible by the presence of Water in all parts ot' theengine. for it is never filled except by columns ot' liquid., themovementiof which determines that of the piston. Water enters every partof the engine. It is Water which,

`displaced by Water 'when the explosion takes place, makes the vacuum asperfect as possible.

My engine is therefore an enginefof -indirect action. It utilizes theexplosiveforce, and the vacuum resulting from the combinationof idifferent kinds of gas mixed with air, and when the explosion of the gastakes place a 'vacuum is .formed in a .tube or chamber separated fromthe cylinder, and "produces -by the displace-VY ment of an intermediatecolumn ot'v Wate'rfthe tofand-fro movementot' the piston','andconseqnently the rotation of the driving-shaft of engine'. vM yinvention is thusbased iipon the substitution for the direct action ot''ordinary gasengines ot' an indirect action, which is exerted by `meansof -an intermediate column ot' water nponthe surface of the piston whenthe explosion of 'the mixture takes place. The explosion of the gaseousmixture isy produced at the-top of thecolumu ot watermtended as themedium to change the sudden e-tect of the ext2i Figure lris-arsectionalelevation-ofzmy improved machinery; Fig. 2, van end vie'w, partly insection Fig. 235 a side view'of one ,ofthe ,tubes A, and Figr' a plan of'my engine-and gas pump. Figs. 4, 4ms, and 4*" are different views ot'a section-pump, hereinafter described, with my gaspump applied thereto.Fig. 5 is a section ofthe cylinder E ot'the motive 'engine carryingvalves I2 lf J3 J4, which may be substituted for the distribzitingslidesI I JJ, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 shows an arrangement of, the valves ofthegeueratiugtube which may be adopted. Figs. 7 and 8 are views in sectionof the slide I) for iniiaming the mixture of gas and air inclosed in thebox x with passage through the tube o. Fig.'9 is a view ofthe i'ans orblowersF4 to .F8 for introducingr the inflaming-mixture. Fig. 10 shows areservoir, P,

for the intlaming-mixture.

A A A2 are tubes of siphon form, in which the combinationof theexplosive mixture takes place, and in which the vacuum is formed.

' The same effect is produced Yin each of the The larger branch of thistube has valves C` C C2 G3 O4 at its extremity, which remain closed -bytheir own weight. These valves are immersed in a reservoir, B, Fig. 2.In a certain variable part of the larger branch of the tube A is apassage, N, connecting it with the cylinder E of the engine. Thiscylinder has two inlets and two outlets for the liquid. Upon theseinlets and outlets are four slides, l I J J', Fig. 2. The slides I lcommunicate with the tube A, wherein the vacuum is produced, and theslides J J with thcbasin K, where the water driven from thetubes'enters. Gas enters the gas-pump by tubes O O2, Fig. 3, and airenters the air-pump by the tube O3. The distrilmtionot' the mixture ot'air and gas takes place by the tube O4. 'lhe rod R ot' the piston Q. ofthe. cylinder E transmits motion to the air and gas blowers or fans F FF2 F3 through the connecting-rod S, crank T, and shaft U. (See Figs. 3,llt-,pand ter.) The shaft U transmits the motion through suitable gearto the shafts'V V V2 V3, which actuate, through cams Y and levers Z, theslides ot' the tubes A A A2 and of the cylinder'E. Electric wires n putthe induction ap-` paratus t in communication with the slides G G' G2, ZZ Z'Z are rollerscarrying plates for intlamiug the mixture.

,Before setting the machinery to work the tubes A A A2, the reservoirs BB( B2, the tubes N NN?, the cylinder E, and the basin K, up to about thepoint iX', Fig. 2, must be filled with water. When these ditl'erentparts contain liquid, as aforesaid, ifa certain quantity of an explosivemixture be introduced through-a suitable tap, slide, or valve into thesmall branch ot' the tube A A A, and if there'be brought in contact with'such mixture either an electric spark, an incandescent platinum wire,a. gas-jet, (by means of the in-v iiaming-slide D, Figs. 7 and 8,-whichadvances to intlame the mixture in the o'rice e, a

which then recedes to have its jet `t relightet., the explosion havingextinguished it by the iixed jet u,) there will be combination of theoxygen of theair and`of the hydrogen of the gas, with a considerabledisengagement of heat. Thevapor resulting from this combination willbecome immediately red hot, as well as the gases not combined, and therewill ensue dilatation of the vapor and of the gases, and considerablepower will be produced, which will drive a certain portion of watercontained in the tube A through the valves C C O2 C3 into the reservoirB, which will run out into the basin K; butin a very short time thegases remaining after combustion will cool and the steam will condensein contact with the water contained in the tubeA. The valves C C C2 G3wi'l close immediately, and there Willfbe avacnum produced proportionalto the quality and quantity of the mixture introduced, at least to acertain extent. This vacuum mayvary. When produced in the tube A, itopens the valves L L', and closes on the contrary, by means of the pipeN3 the similar valves corresponding with the other tubes, A A2, andshuts them off in consequence from the machine. It remains, theret'ore,only to openthe passages MM, and the piston Q of the motive engine E, bythe arrangement of its slides I and J becomes on one I side, g, incontact with the vacuum of the tube A, and on the other side or face, h,in contact with the water of the basin K, submitted to atmosphericpressure'. This piston necessarily works in the direction of the vacuumwith a force equal to the vacuum pro. duced in the tube A. The piston inworking causes the water contained on the face g to replace a certainportion of that which has been expelled from the' tube A during thecombination of the explosive gases; but on reaching the end of' itsstroke the slides I and J close and the slides I and J open. The pistonis again placed in contact with the vacuum of the tube A by its face h,and its face gis then in contact with the water in the basin K. Itreturns back, or makes a back-stroke, and the water on its face h lls upthe vacuum still existing in the tube A. It during this movement of thepiston, which, by mea-ns of the crank T, transmits rotary motion to theshaft U, as in ordinary steam-engines,'there has been introduced by thepumps or fans F4 F5 F6 F7 F8, Fig. 9, a certainI quantity of the mixturein the tube A, and this mixture is iniamed at the moment when the crankcompletes its entire revolution and has attained the dead-point, thesame et't'ect which has been produced by the .tube A will be reproducedby the tube. A', and the engine E will continue to work. It will be thesame with -the tube A2 and all the other tubes which might be employed;but while-the tube A works the engine the escape-slide H of the tube Awill open, and by. the crank l m, Fig. 2, will cause the tail or fingern lto rise, and

by means of the tappet p open the valve or valves() C( C2 C. Pressuredue to the difference in the water-level in the larger branch of thetube A will press upon the gases resulting from 4combustion contained inthe small branch, where the combination ofthe explosive mixture tookplace, and will lexpel them through the slide H into the tube 0; thenthe slide H will close. The inlet-slide G will open to introduce themixture, which will be inflamed at the proper time, as has been aboveexplained, and these same workings will be repeated indefinitely in eachtube.

The vacuum-forming tubes A A Ag'may be placed unlimited number to work amachine by means ofthe valves L L', which insulate them completely fromeach other. The speed of the engine depends up to certain limits on thedegree ofvvacuum-generating tubes and on the size of the inlet andoutlet passages for the Water from the cylinder of the motive engine. Bymeans of the pumps and air and gas blowers, the stroke of which isincreased or diminished at will, the quantity and quality of the mixtureto be introduced into the tubes is regulated, and there-fore the vacuumis dininished or increased (always within certain `limits) according tothe power to be used. It

is unnecessary to add that the Yposition occupied by the vacuumgenerating tubes may be varied at will. They may be placed parallel onboth sides of the engiue,'oron one side only. They may be placedperpendicularly to the shaft of the engine on one or both sides, orotherwise. The tubes A may be. cast in a piece with the cylinder E andthe frame X. The valves C U1() L L', tc., may vary indetinitely both inform andmaterial. The slides for distributing the water in the cylindermay also vary both in form, material, and position. They may be placedhorizontally, vertically', or inclined. The slides ot' the tubes may bereplaced by taps or valves, if desired. The same with the slides; or thesurfaces on which they run/may be furnished with bronze, brass, orgun-metal plates, or others little liable to oxidation. The means ofmoving the slides, whether of the tubes or of the cylinders, may beimparted without any lever directly on the rods ofthe slides by means'of double cams or by other suitable mechanical means.

The explanations which' I have given of the different organs and Workingof my appara` tus or .power'generator show that it may be protablyapplied to work all forms and kinds of steam-engines, whether fixed or,movable, horizontal, inclined, vertical, rotary, locom'otive, ormarineait being only necessary to alter the diameters of the cylinderand the form or section ,of the passages for the inlet and' outletof.-the'water. This apparatus or generator may be applied to exhaust andto raise water; to make use of it for irrigation, or to direct it ontowater-wheels, turbines, and others... for which it would only bene'cessary to lengthen the tube A to extend above thelevel ot' thewater` to b e raised. lf-it be"` also be made to work automatically bythey (See Figs. 4. 4ms, and 4mm) following means: At some point a valve,b, which may be replaced by a piston, e', Fig. 4ms, is tted to them.This valve or piston may be placed at any point in the suction-tube, andis intended to put in motiontheair and gas pumps F Fr F2 F3, the inletand iniaming slides G and D, and that O forV the escape of the residualgases. These different operations occur as follows: At the moment of theproduction of the vacuum in the tube or pump serving to raise water inthe same manner thatit is produced in the generating-tube for theengine. As the water to be raised is only from six to seven yards, allthe vacuum produced above six to seven yards may be used to raise thevalve b, Fig. 4, charged with a weight or the piston e', andthereforethey will raise the lever 1, attached to the rack 2, whichrackis Y charged with a movable Weight, X4. This lever l turns round apoint, 4. In rising, it lifts up the rack 2, which rubs against theratchet-wheel 5 by means of the spring 3. This ratchet cannot turn back,being stopped by the tappet 6; but when the valve b has passed beyondthe point g', Fig. 4, or the'piston e', Fig. 4b, has passed the point gzg2, free passage is left to the water, which tills the vacuum existingin the tu e a,and when this vacuum has been in part ii led, the pistouc', or the valve b, acting by means of the rod d on the lever 1 and therack 2, in descending, causes, by means of the spring 3, theratchetwheel 5 to turn. This wheel is mounted on the shaft which givesmotion to the air and gas pumps, and to the distributingslides from thepump to the tube. i

' The descending movement' of the piston e',

or of the valve b, is easily explained in thismanner: That the escapeslide opening first immediately leaves on the valve b, or on the pistone', a pressure of water, which causes it to descend with a rapiditydepending on the greater or lesser accuracy in 'the fit of the piston inthe cylinder, or of the valve on its exterior iloatin g part, for if thepiston or the valve closed completely and hermetically, the liquid orwater not being compressible, the stop-valve e would prevent the pistonor fthe valve descending; but if a little play is lallowed, or somegrooves or other means ensuring the same result are adopted, the valveor the piston in descending will cause the liquid that they displacebelow to rise above them, and at the same time, by means of the toothedrack and ratchet-wheel/, drive the shaft carrying the di'erent slidesand air and .gas pumps necessary to the good working of 'the pump ormachine for raising water.

Mv apparatus or generator does not causeV any shock to theditiereutmachines tliatit works. The povve'r is produced and storedoutside the cylinder exactly as takes place' in an ordinary steam-enginewhere the boilers perform the part ot' my tubes in which the vacuum isproduced. l

Having now described the nature ot' my said invention, and in whatmanner the same is to be performed, I declare that my invention is basedupon thc indirect action ot' an. ex-

plosive mixture upon the piston ot' an engine by means of anintermediate column of water,

which is exhausted bythe vacuum which the explosion produces in thegenerating-tubes.

The characteristic features ofthe invention are: lirst,the substitutionof the indirect action ot' the exploded mixture for the direct actionwhich takes place in ordinari7 gasengines. Second, the indirect actionot' the explosive power upon the piston-rod through :in injter-A mediatecolumn of wateigon.-thcfisuacefot' lwhich the mixture of air'and 'gasisexploded. Third, the inaming of the mixture of airand gas in a tube ofthe receiver .separated from the engine cylinder. Thevacuumproducedin aIspace separated from. the cylinder determines the to-and-fro movement ofthe piston. Fourtlnthe constant'circulation ot' the same vwaterin themachine;- and, fifth, the presence -ot' water in every part of themachine for the scribing Witnesses.v

P. HUGON,

Witnesses E.IJAUME, E. SHERMAN GoULD..

